I first went to New York when I was maybe 13 years old for a school dance trip. It was great, minus the fact the mindless group of adults we somehow called our teachers didn't really let us see any of New York. I mean, they told us we were going to the Statue of Liberty but just took us to the edge of Manhattan so I could stare at a pin-size Lady Lib from afar. Safe to say, ever since I'd been dying to go back!
As this was a trip I'd been planning in my head for 10 years, I'd racked up a whole array of outfits to take on my reunion with the Big Apple. I'd spent
Well as it turns out my OTT organising was a complete bloody waste of time 'cause as you'll notice from these photos, while I had well thought out outfits on underneath, I pretty much spent 5 days in my trusty Dr Martens & satin, pink parka. (Full outfit info for each photo can be found at the bottom of the post).
While I was slightly gutted by the lack of outtfit content, I have to take my hat(/beret) off to this coat. I was struggling to find something sassy that would keep me warm & dry too but as per usual, ASOS nailed it by creating this little number. I'm not usually a fan of parka jackets but I knew it would be the most practical style to go for if it rained or snow (God I hate the word 'practical', it's something my Mum would say). Although outside of my comfort zone, in this pastel pink satin I still feel like me.
The holiday wasn't really about the outfits though. As I said at the beginning, what I'd missed coming with my school was actually seeing New York. Experiencing it in all it's calorific, fast-paced glory. Calorific being the optimum word there.
So let's talk about my favourite thing first then. No, no, not clothes. FOOD.
Everyone says it but holy fuck, America knows how to eat! I had everything from a burger as big as my head to a 17 oz strawberry lemonade, containing so much sugar I was bouncing off the walls of Macy's. My dedication to food is so strong that one day I got a taxi from the bottom of the island, up to the West side then across to East just to get my fill of baked goods.
Here's my top 5 tips for foodies in NYC:
1. Go to Levain Bakery for the best cookies in the world! Just trust me.
2. Visit Dylan's Candy Bar if you have a sweet tooth - it's 3 floors, the largest candy store in the world.
3. Dine at the Bull & Bear Steakhouse in the Waldorf Astoria - I had an out of body experience & thought it was okay to spend $140 on Wagyu steak here. You know when you hear people say 'it melts like butter' & you're just like 'wtf, it's steak, how can it melt'? Order the Wagyu. Thank me later.
4. Try to book in advance for dinner. There's so many restaurants but also so many people & if you're like me, you'll get hangry if you've got to queue.
5. Get an ice cream sandwich from Brooklyn's Ice Cream Factory. I'm lactose intolerant & it was still worth it.
Besides the bakeries & cocktail bars, there's another place that stole my heart in New York. CENTRAL PARK.
Here's my top 5 tips when heading to the park:
1. If you're a wannabe princess like me, head to Belvedere Castle & swan about like you own the place. There's beautiful views of the city too.
2. 100% get a carriage ride! They're a little expensive but so worth it & our driver was full of fun facts - did you know the infamous fountain from the Friends credit's is in the park?
3. Grab some lunch or a coffee at the Boathouse. Again, a bit expensive but amazing views across The Lake.
4. Find the Alice in Wonderland statue.
5. People watch. I mean this in the least creepy way possible but NYC is full of characters so get yourself a hot dog, find a bench & just observe.
Like every shopaholic I saved my arse off for this holiday, daydreaming of Bloomie's bags filled to the brim, but truth be told I didn't do much shopping at all. I was a little shocked to find that, other than Sephora & the big department stores (which are just like Selfridges & Harrods), we have all the same shops here in London - H&M, Zara, Forever 21, Topshop. I honestly think I've been spoilt for choice right here at home.
I did stock up in Sephora but other than that I brought a dress from Urban Outfitters & a bag from Topshop. Not quite the spree I'd hoped for, especially considering I could have brought both items here in the UK. I did have my heart set on going thrifting in Brooklyn but we just ran out of time - probably my fault with all the bakeries.
If you're made of money then you'll probably have more luck than I as the streets are crawling with designer shop fronts. Cartier, Chanel, Tiffany's - all places that I can only dream off... right now. Once I'm a millionaire I'll be fine or discover I'm secretly the princess of Geneva a la Anne Hathaway.
Besides shopping, snacking & strolling through Central Park I'd also recommend:
1. Going to the Top of the Rock, not the Empire State. Better views so long as you don't go on a foggy, rainy day like we did - ops.
2. Visiting the Met Museum if art's your thing, or if you're a fan of Gossip Girl. I went purely so I could sit on the steps & pretend to be Queen of Constance.
3. Spend some time milling around Grand Central Station - there's restaurants & bars, lots of pop-up shops & the architecture's pretty fantastic too! (Ooo look at me, I've gone all cultural).
So New York wasn't everything I'd hoped it would be but it was still an amazing holiday! I met some fabulous people, ate my own weight in fabulous food & spent time with the fabulous women in my family. There's no place like home though.
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Beret: Ebay
Coat: ASOS
Boots: Dr Martens
Backpack: Skinnydip (alternative here)
Scarf, gloves & fleece lined tights: Primark (fleece lined tights are my new favourite discovery)
